Hyperglycaemia in patients receiving enteral or parenteral nutrition is a major problem due to its high prevalence and possible consequences interms of morbidity and mortality. However, the management of ... [more ▼]

Hyperglycaemia in patients receiving enteral or parenteral nutrition is a major problem due to its high prevalence and possible consequences interms of morbidity and mortality. However, the management of diabetes/stress hyperglycaemia during artificial nutrition remains largely unknown,especially in non-critically ill patients. The indications and access routes for artificial nutrition are not different in patients with diabetes/stressdiabetes than in non-diabetics. We do not recommend using enteral formulas designed for patients with diabetes. The glycaemic objective mustbe individualized. We recommend a preprandial blood glucose levels between 100 and 140 mg/dL (5.5 and 7.8 mmol/L) and postprandial levelsbetween 140 and 180 mg/dL (7.8 and 10 mmol/L). A frequent monitoring of capillary glycaemias is mandatory. The best drug treatment for treatinghyperglycaemia/diabetes is insulin and we recommend to adapt the theoretical insulin action to the nutrition infusion regimen. The managementof these patients needs the help of a multidisciplinary experimented staff. [less ▲]

At home as in the hospital, the diabetic patients are at high risk of malnutrition. In patients with hyperglycemia in artificial nutrition, the primary objective is to to cover their protein needs and ... [more ▼]

At home as in the hospital, the diabetic patients are at high risk of malnutrition. In patients with hyperglycemia in artificial nutrition, the primary objective is to to cover their protein needs and their caloric needs and to optimize accordingly the antidiabetic treatment. Insulin therapy is the treatment of choice. The use of low glycaemic index is probably better, especially for oral supplementation. An equivalent parenteral carbohydrate intake has a hyperglycaemic effect more important than with the oral or enteral way. The management of hyperglycemia in artificial nutrition requires defining glycemic goals, tailored to the patient, to the type and the sequences of artificial nutrition, establishing patterns of insulin therapy and providing accurate adaptation rules. Above the basal requirement, insulin therapy sufficient to meet caloric exposure must be prescribed appropriate in timing with the artificial nutrition. The use of sliding scale as monotherapy is ineffective. This management requires forming the nurse team. The acute phase has passed, the disease stabilized, it is sometimes possible to introduce oral antidiabetic drugs and stop insulin. In this case, we apply the same prescription rules to these drugs as for the patient fed orally. [less ▲]

It is a common belief that nutritional deficiencies are rare in the Western world due to a wide variety of food supply. However, obese people usually consume dense-energy food but of poor nutritional ... [more ▼]

It is a common belief that nutritional deficiencies are rare in the Western world due to a wide variety of food supply. However, obese people usually consume dense-energy food but of poor nutritional value that lacks proteins, vitamins, minerals and fiber; consequently, a high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in obese subjects has been reported. Moreover, bariatric surgery has been proven the most effective treatment of morbid obesity, but micronutrient deficiency following bariatric surgery is a major concern, worsening pre-operative nutritional deficiencies. In this article, we reviewed the litterature and highlighted the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies in the morbidly obese population prior to bariatric surgery, clinical consequences of these deficiencies and practical recommendations for these subjects. [less ▲]